by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Matt Ryan won't tip his hand on a deadline, but the Atlanta Falcons quarterback admits there could come a point when he would consider putting contract talks on hold until next offseason in the absence of striking a long-term deal this year.

He is entering the final season of his original NFL contract (signed in 2008), the zone when teams generally look to lock up franchise quarterbacks.

Yet with NFL business being NFL business, Ryan ultimately might have to weigh the prospects of a potential distraction if negotiations drag on.

"I think when you get there, you kind of assess it," Ryan told USA TODAY Sports. "I'm confident that we can move this in the right direction, and our guys will handle it the way we need to handle it. And then if we get to that point where it's not done, then I think we'll figure out how to handle it."

Asked whether "that point" comes after training camp opens in late July or with the start of the regular season in September, Ryan was evasive. He would not elaborate on the status of ongoing talks between his agent, Tom Condon, and Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

"I leave that up to the guys who know what they're talking about when it comes to that," Ryan said. "I think our front office and my agents have had a great working relationship for the entire time that I've been here. I trust that those guys will get it done. I've said that right from the start. This is home, this is the organization that I love playing for."

Condon, who has struck deals with Dimitroff this offseason for Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, new defensive end Osi Umenyiora and left tackle Sam Baker, could not be reached for comment.

Dimitroff told USA TODAY Sports on Friday that he would prefer to have the contract resolved before the start of the season but does not consider that to be a hard deadline.

"We're not concerned about it," he said. "When the time is right, we will consummate a deal."

Dimitroff, while not divulging specifics of the negotiations, suggested that the tone of the talks have been amicable. "I'm not anticipating any issues," he said.

No, Ryan doesn't have any desire to test the waters as a free agent, and clearly the Falcons would use the franchise tag to prevent him from hitting the open market in 2014.

But obviously, those commitments alone don't seal the deal.

The New Orleans Saints didn't sign Drew Brees (also represented by Condon) to his $20 million-per-year deal until two weeks before training camp in 2012, given protracted talks after his first contract with the Saints ran out.

Then there is Joe Flacco, the Baltimore Ravens passer chosen in the same 2008 draft class with Ryan and owner of a new six-year, $120.6 million contract. After talks with the Ravens broke down last summer, Flacco went on to win a championship and Super Bowl MVP honors - and significantly improved his bargaining power.

Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, recently told USA TODAY Sports that the deal his client struck three months ago was worth $35 million more than he sought when negotiations ended last year.

"Every situation is different," said Ryan, who has averaged $11.25 million on his six-year contract, which included a then-record $34.75 million guaranteed when he signed it five years ago.

"The business side of it, everybody handles it differently. For me, regardless of the timing, I've always been of the opinion that I'm going to handle my business. I'm going to do everything that I possibly can to be then best possible player that I can be. And I believe that if I can do that, then all of the other things will fall into place. And the people who understand that stuff and know how to work it out will work it out."

Quarterback deals have added so much pop to the NFL's offseason news cycle.

Before Flacco's deal, pushed along as the Ravens faced an NFL deadline for declaring franchise players, Tom Brady signed an extension that provided cap relief for the New England Patriots and included a $30 million signing bonus.

In late March, the Dallas Cowboys signed Tony Romo to a six-year, $108 million extension that locks him up through 2019 million and guarantees $55 million.

About a month later, the Green Bay Packers made Aaron Rodgers the highest-paid player in NFL history by tacking on five years and $110 million to his deal, locking him up through 2019. Rodgers' extension included a $35 million signing bonus and $54 million guaranteed.

Yes, the quarterback money has been flowing and Ryan is on deck.

After he took the Falcons to the brink of a Super Bowl berth last season, it's not far-fetched to think he could possibly wind up in a position similar to Flacco's - with leverage bolstered by a championship.

When that prospect was mentioned, Ryan chuckled.

"However it works out," Ryan said, "it will be all good."

Of course, a Super Bowl victory could also make for a hefty incentive clause in a new deal.